The Cleveland Browns have experienced an unprecedented number of injuries in 2023. They have had at least 26 percent of their salary on the injured reserve or out for the year thanks to injury.
Sunday they experienced a critical piece, and arguably their most valuable piece, of their offensive attack go down with injury.
In the second quarter, Houston running back Dameon Pierce caught a kickoff and had six points on his mind. He broke through the initial line and had one man to beat, kicker Dustin Hopkins.
Hopkins dropped it into high gear and gave his best effort to try and beat Pierce to the angle. Pierce's speed got to the edge and he was off to the races.
While in pursuit, Hopkins seemed to have injured his hamstring and he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The Browns would spend the rest of the game without a kicker. That injury harmed them in their field goal game but also in their kicking game. Later on punter Corey Bojorquez also experienced a leg injury and was ruled out of the game. Bojorquez took over the kickoff duties for the Browns.
So, Cleveland was down to no options for kickoffs until safety D'Anthony Bell stepped up to the tee.
The television broadcast showed Bell warming up in the kicking net and it was obvious that he was no Phil Dawson. He didn't need to be, he just needed to kick and cover.
Kick and cover he did. Bell squibbed the kick down the field and then sprinted down and made the tackle. The play was the epitome of the Browns' season.
D'Anthony Bell who is playing every snap because the Browns are down their top three safeties stepped in to do kickoff for the injured kicker and punter and while doing so, made the tackle.
The perfect story about the 2023 Cleveland Browns.
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